2013 Hyundai Veloster Re:Mix review notes

3 of 5The 2013 Hyundai Veloster RE:MIX is front-wheel drive and has a six-speed manual transmission.

Photo by Hyundai

4 of 5The Veloster RE:MIX has an output of 138-hp and 123 lb-ft of torque.

Photo by Hyundai

5 of 5The interior of the 2013 Hyundai Veloster RE:MIX is clean and simple, with easy to use technology.

Photo by Hyundai

ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: There's a lot going on with the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Re:Mix. Styling is polarizing. It's a four-door: one door on the driver's side, two on the passenger's and a hatch on the back. But despite its asymmetric tendencies, you have to hunt to find the ignition button -- it's located just below the central touchscreen, smack dab in the middle of the cockpit.

Hyundai didn't expend all their effort on the exterior, either. The inside has a number of interesting touches, too, with relatively clean styling set off by concept car details -- chunky interior door-pulls rise up from the bottom of the door and float beside you at roughly elbow level. It's hard to describe, but it's a cool effect.

The downside is downmarket material quality; those door-pulls wiggle just the slightest bit when you slam the door, and door handles are a cheesy, bright chrome-finished plastic.

But anyway, the car only costs $20,845. I can overlook build quality a step or two below that of Mercedes-Benz.

The Veloster Re:Mix edition (“Gotta have that extra punctuation in there. Kids love the extra punctuation,” one imagines a product planner saying without a hint of sarcasm) offers even more. Different wheels. An aero package. A standard stereo setup that's actually pretty decent.

One thing it does not offer, however, is a sporty edge. Maybe I'm crazy and no one else on the planet expects a car called the “Veloster” to have at least some hot hatch characteristics, but I was ready for more: The car has 18-inch alloy wheels, a Re:Mix edition-unique body kit and sporty-looking seats, after all.

You realize it's just a funkily clad economy car after you get a taste of the suspension. This is not a hot hatch by any means, as you'll discover as you bound over potholes and round corners.

Like the suspension, the engine leaves a little to be desired. Step on the accelerator and wait for the turbo to kick in. Keep waiting. Forever. Because the car is naturally aspirated.

That said, once you get it above 3,500 rpm or so it's not exactly slow considering its 138 hp output. And the easy six-speed gives you a good amount of flexibility when driving around town or cruising on the expressway; the car never seems overworked. It's just about perception not meeting reality -- the Veloster has a sporty name and just throws off a sporty vibe, so you expect it to be quicker than it actually is.

Weighing price, efficiency, features and that hard-to-quantify style factor, the Veloster Re:Mix is a pretty good value at under $21K. Don't buy it expecting something particularly flingable, though, or you'll be disappointed. Fortunately there's a Turbo version available, so if you really dig the Veloster's quirkiness Hyundai has an option for you.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Graham hasn't been sleeping well lately, which might explain how he missed the huge “START” button right in the center of the dash. In fact, I found the entire ergonomic layout very easy to get used to and the Veloster itself an easy and fun automotive companion for the evening. The controls will be instantly familiar to anyone who's driven a Japanese car in the last 30 years -- it's all where you expect it to be, which is about the highest compliment one can pay these days.

Those who want horsepower (and torque steer) will definitely need to look at the Veloster Turbo. Our Re:Mix gets a 1.6 naturally aspirated four that does the job without fuss but isn't going to outrun much of anything. In return, you get good gas mileage, and if you're a stick-shift enthusiast, you'll be pleased to note the Veloster gets a great six-speed manual with a low-effort clutch, making it pleasant to row even in rush hour traffic.

The three-door cabin layout is actually a stroke of brilliance, lending the car kind of a sideways mullet appeal (sedan on the right, coupe on the left). More importantly, the rear side door is fully usable, not some forward-opening garage nightmare like the ones found on the Honda Element. There's plenty of space to get kids and boosters into the rear seats, and once inside the legroom is very impressive for a car with the Veloster's tiny footprint. As Graham notes, the doors sound hollow, and there's plenty of hard plastic to go around, but the materials quality and textures are no worse than what I experienced recently in the BMW X1 for $17k more.

Yes, there's a Hyundai Accent underneath the Veloster's sporty exterior, but that's no longer the burden it once was. Instead, I think the Veloster is really an impressive piece of work for the price. No, it's not a Focus ST or Volkswagen GTI, but it provides a taste of the pricey true hot hatches for a shade over $20K, gets great fuel economy and doesn't beat you up during the commute. This is another impressive product from Hyundai.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This 2013 Hyundai Veloster Re:Mix is a car I liked better than I thought I would. It could use more power; something in the 200 hp range would be nice. Lo and behold the Veloster Turbo offers 201 hp. I'd dig around and find an extra couple grand and get that.

Not a bad little runabout as is, though. I like this little four-cylinder in terms of smoothness and its fuss-free operation; I just want more oomph. On the other hand, the digital readout on the dash said I got 31 mpg in mostly city driving, so that's a plus. No problem with relationship between the six-speed manual and the clutch and the engine. They are quite the smooth operator. The handling is quick witted. This is an almost fun car in which to buzz around town. Hate to sound like a broken record, but to me more power equals more fun.

I'm split on the styling, and let's face it; this car is mostly about that. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I loathe it. Depends on my mood, I guess. In fact it might depend on which side you're looking at: for some reason I think the driver side, the single-door side, looks better to me -- more cohesive or something. There's some Renault Megane hatch in there. Cool.

The interior is comfortable and well organized. Materials could use an upgrade, but for this price it is what it is. And speaking of price, I find it at least reasonable bordering on a bargain. I actually guessed it was a couple grand more before I saw the sticker.

Overall, I'm impressed. As pointed out above, it's not a Ford Focus ST or Volkswagen GTI, but it's less expensive by quite a margin. And I think the days of Hyundai vehicles being cheap wheels are well behind it. This car would probably last you a good long time.